Westminster Poor Law Union x Westminster Board of Guardians Strand Poor Law Union x Strand Board of Guardians St Martin in the Fields Poor Law Union x St Martin in the Fields Board of Guardians St George's Hanover Square Poor Law Union x St George's Hanover Square Board of Guardians St Margaret and St John Poor Law Union x St Margaret and St John Board of Guardians City of Westminster Poor Law Union x City of Westminster Board of Guardians

Westminster Poor Law Union x Westminster Board of Guardians Strand Poor Law Union x Strand Board of Guardians St Martin in the Fields Poor Law Union x St Martin in the Fields Board of Guardians St George's Hanover Square Poor Law Union x St George's Hanover Square Board of Guardians St Margaret and St John Poor Law Union x St Margaret and St John Board of Guardians City of Westminster Poor Law Union x City of Westminster Board of Guardians

Poor relief was based on the Act for the Relief of the Poor of 1601 which obliged parishes to take care of the aged and needy in their area. Parish overseers were empowered to collect a local income tax known as the poor-rate which would be put towards the relief of the poor. This evolved into the rating system, where the amount of poor-rate charged was based on the value of a person's property. Early workhouses were constructed and managed by the parish. However, this process was expensive and various schemes were devised where groups of parishes could act together and pool their resources. As early as 1647 towns were setting up 'Corporations' of parishes. An Act of 1782, promoted by Thomas Gilbert, allowed adjacent parishes to combine into Unions and provide workhouses. These were known as 'Gilbert's Unions' and were managed by a board of Guardians.

Under the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, the Poor Law Commission was given the power to unite parishes in England and Wales into Poor Law Unions. Each Union was to be administered by a local Board of Guardians. Relief was to be provided through the provision of a workhouse. An amendment to the 1834 Act allowed already existing 'Gilbert's Unions' or Corporations of parishes to remain in existence, although they were encouraged to convert themselves into Poor Law Unions. Although there was some reorganisation of union boundaries, particularly in London, the majority of Unions created under the 1834 Act remained in operation until 1930. In March 1930 a new Local Government Bill abolished the Poor Law Unions and the Board of Guardians. Responsibility for their institutions passed to Public Assistance Committees managed by the county councils - in the metropolis either the London County Council or the Middlesex County Council.

The Westminster Boards of Guardians were formed of several smaller Unions in the Westminster area which merged:

Saint George's Hanover Square Poor Law Union:

1789: Care and management of the poor vested in a body of Governors and Directors elected by the vestry of St George Hanover Square

1867: Superseded by a Board of Guardians for the parish

1870: Became part of Saint George's Union

Saint Margaret and Saint John Poor Law Union:

1851: Governors and Directors of the poor appointed for parishes of St Margaret and St John the Evangelist

1867: superseded by Board of Guardians for the united parishes

1870: became part of Saint George's Union

1875: Close of the Collegiate Church of St Peter added to Saint George's Union

City of Westminster Poor Law Union:

1913: Saint George's Union amalgamated with the Strand and Westminster Unions to form the City of Westminster Union

Strand Poor Law Union:

1836: Union formed of the parishes of the Liberty of the Rolls, Saint Clement Danes, Saint Mary le Strand, Saint Paul Covent Garden and the Precinct of the Savoy

1837: Parish of Saint Anne added

1868: Parish of Saint Anne removed to form part of the Westminster Union, and the parish of Saint Martin in the Fields added

1913: Strand Union amalgamated with Westminster Union and Saint George's Union

Westminster Poor Law Union

1727: poor of parish of Saint James in the care of the Vestry Parochial Committee

1762: Governors and Directors of the Poor appointed

1868: amalgamated with parish of St Anne to form Westminster Union. NB Vestry of St James continued to elect Governors and Directors until 1889 when they were abolished

1913: Westminster Union amalagamated with Strand and St George's Union to form City of Westminster Poor Law Union

Source of information: Peter Higginbotham at The Workhouse website.